2022 Grand Wagoneer
The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer is not just a recent phenomenon. Introduced almost 40 years ago, the Grand Wagoneer is the latest vehicle to carry the Wagoneer name. That division of the Jeep brand goes all the way to 1963. It also has the distinction of being the first full-size luxury SUV in America. Napleton News has had a chance to get behind the wheel for an extended trial period. Here’s what we think about this new ultra-luxurious vehicle.
Start with a ladder-style body-on-frame chassis. Add a big V8 engine. Give it a luxurious feature set inside with leather, wood, stainless steel, and enough 12.3-inch touchscreen displays to make it feel like a BestBuy showroom. Finally, let’s not forget seating for up to 8-passengers. That’s good for a start! Let’s keep going.
All-new 2022 Wagoneer’s 6.4-liter V-8 making 470 horsepower and 455 lb-ft of torque.
Power for the 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer comes from a 6.4-liter HEMI V8. Producing 470 horsepower and 455 lb-ft of torque, it is a stump-puller par excellence! Just as an aside, this Grand Wagoneer is not the standard Wagoneer. The Wagoneer is powered by a 5.7-liter HEMI V8 instead of the 6.4-liter. Our tester, the Grand Wagoneer, is simply grander!
In the case of the Grand Wagoneer, the 6.4-liter HEMI is matched to an 8-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. The AWD system is Stellantis’s Quadra-Drive II 2-range 4WD system that is mindful of wheel slippage and will quickly send power to the wheel (or wheels), getting the best grip. Suspension duties are handled by the Quadra-lift air-suspension system that can adapt to road conditions on the fly. It is also equipped with a standard electronic limited-slip differential, and can tow up to 10,000 pounds.
There must be a bit of confusion over the various Jeep models that are now available. First of all, this is not the new Jeep Grand Cherokee L. That model is an extended version of the Grand Cherokee. Yes, it too has a third-row seat, and even a new grille style that resembles the Wagoneer, but frankly, it’s not as spacious as the Grand Wagoneer’s rear seat. Secondly, as large as the Grand Cherokee L is, it is still 10 inches shorter than the 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer. That adds up to a substantial difference in actual size. And at that same time, the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, which are based on the same platform and chassis, are not the same vehicle. While the Wagoneer is more mainstream, the Grand Wagoneer competes head-to-head with the most luxurious vehicles on the road today.
Lean forward. (Think of “Go West, Young Man, Go West”) That’s how the grille on the new Grand Wagoneer leans, which is a nod to the leaning grille found on the original model. Large letters spell out the Grand Wagoneer name across the grille. Except for a few tiny Jeep logos spread around the vehicle, this is a Wagoneer and the company wants you to remember it.
Large glass is all about, offering passengers a wide vista of the outside world. In the case of our tester, it was equipped with 22-inch chrome-plated aluminum alloy wheels. Back during the first generation of Wagoneers, they were known for their faux-wood exterior panels. Stellantis, so far, hasn’t opined on bringing the paneling (contact paper?) back. But we are almost certain the aftermarket will step up to make the Grand Wagoneer into a modern-day woodie wagon.
If we were to tell you that you could get a full back massage while cruising up the interstate, you’d probably reply with a ho-hum yawn. But what if we said you could do that with heated or ventilated seats in a Jeep Grand Wagoneer? You wouldn’t believe it, would you? Well, in the words of Ted Lasso, believe!
What about a center console cooler to refrigerate your drinks on a hot day? Yup. It’s here, too.
The standard Wagoneer can carry eight, but the Grand Wagoneer is complete with 2+2+3 seating (captains chairs in the second row) that is spacious despite the constraints found in common everyday SUVs.
The Grand Wagoneer is available in three trim levels ranging from an anything but base Series I model that starts at $86,995 plus a tough $2,000 destination fee. The Series II model includes a Palermo leather interior and 22-inch alloy wheels for $93,995. Finally, our tester, the Grand Wagoneer Series III 4×4, checks in at $103,995 (!). It’s other-worldly, in fact, and indeed!
Some of those other-worldly features include 45 square inches of flat-screen displays everywhere. This includes the gauge display screen, the center infotainment display, the 10.25-inch climate control below it, and finally, the 10.25 inch directly in front of the front seat passenger. Visible only to the passenger, it uses a privacy screen to prevent the driver from sneaking a glance or otherwise becoming distracted while behind the wheel.
The Grand Wagoneer included a cooler that was good enough to keep a bottle of wine chilled all the way home. Sure it’s not much bigger than a six-pack, but it does the job and you find that you are glad that it’s part of the feature mix on your vehicle.
Overall, the look is one of supreme luxury. Beautifully crafted leather, wood and metal trim lift this Grand Wagoneer above many other luxury vehicles on the road today. Jeep’s Uconnect five infotainment system is here, with 11 USBports, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s a Wi-Fi hotspot for up to 8 devices, wireless charging and Bluetooth. There’s also a 23-speaker McIntosh MX 1375 audio system pumping out 1,375 watts of power for those with music in their veins.
Not as big as the Cadillac Escalade or the Yukon Denali, the Grand Wagoneer is bulky in its own right. Touch the door handles to get power side steps deployed to help you get inside. Once buckled in you should flick on the front seat massage functions to get rid of the tensions of the workday and of all the lesser drivers around you. You know what we are talking about!
Power from the 6.4-liter HEMI comes on smoothly to the point you have no sense of urgency that you would have when stomping on the accelerator as you would in another vehicle. It’s a quiet mill that doesn’t make a fuss except under the most extreme situations. Once it hits cruising speed, the engine settles down to around 2,000 rpm. Heck, we manage to get more winded on the treadmill in our local gym.
After a while, the 6.4 settles down even more with its automatic fuel-saving cylinder deactivation shuts down several cylinders to save on fuel consumption. When needed, just squeeze the skinny pedal and those sleeping cylinders wake up from their slumber.
The ride was plush, even a bit floaty if you will, but it’s just as you would expect from such a vehicle. Still, we think the Grand Wagoneer rides smaller than it appears. We are not a fan of the lane keep assist systems which seem to try fighting us to stay in a lane. And we look forward to the day where you may really take your hands off the steering wheel.
We still think that’s a few years off. Still, the Grand Wagoneer operated like the strong SUV that it is. An SUV with a truck-style chassis can be as ferocious as you need it to be, such as towing up to 10,000 pounds, or as luxurious as would like it to be. The choice is up to you.
| 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer | |
| Popular Powertrains | |
| Engine | 6.4-liter Hemi V8 |
| Horsepower | 471 hp @ 6,000 rpm |
| Torque | 455 lb-ft @ 4,400 rpm |
| Transmission | 8-speed automatic |
| Fuel Economy | 15 mpg (13 city/18 hwy) |
| Also Available | McIntosh MX 1375 Audio (1,375 watts) |
| Specs | |
| Warranty | 3 years/36,000 miles |
| Powertrain Warranty | 5 years/60,000 miles |
| NHTSA Safety Rating | Not Rated Yet |
| Max Seating Capacity | 7 or 8 depending on seats |
| Wheelbase | 123.0 inches |
| Overall Length | 214.7inches |
| Width | 83.6 inches |
| Height | 75.6 inches |
| Turning Diameter | 38.0 feet |
| Headroom, Front | 41.3 inches |
| Headroom, Middle Row | 40.0 inches |
| Headroom Third Row | 39.0 inches |
| Legroom, Front | 40.9 inches |
| Legroom, Middle Row | 42.7 inches |
| Legroom Rear Row | 36.6 inches |
| Front Shoulder Room | 66.1 inches |
| Middle Shoulder Room | 65.2 inches |
| Rear Shoulder Room | 64.4 inches |
| Cargo Space Behind Front | 94.2 cubic feet |
| Cargo Space Behind 2nd | 70.9 cubic feet |
| Cargo Space Behind 3rd | 27.4 cubic feet |
This post was published on November 2, 2021
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